Mindful Listening

Summarize or paraphrase key points to show understanding and strengthen the connection with the speaker.

Utilize affirmative body language—position toward the speaker, nod, and vocalize agreement.

Hopefully you can see that the issue was simply that they were unprepared.

listeners do not receive the same level of praise, attention, instruction, or credibility as speakers. They should!

we can forget that there is just as much intentionality required on the other side of things—the listening.

Yet when it comes to communicating, we all seem to assume that this most essential skill will more or less come naturally without any planning or preparation.

The answer is simple: a lack of preparation. Good listening and communication skills more generally are things we all take for granted—right up until they’re not there, and we sorely feel their absence.

What do I need to do right now to make myself better prepared to listen?”

it’s enough to remind yourself, as often as you can, that listening matters

Conversations had under duress, force, or emotional manipulation—for example, one party wants to avoid it, whereas the other wants to force it